Kitchen

[Sooner]

The answer is obvious.  Computers.

Before we had computer databases there is no way that we would have known in any reasonable time where the people were getting sick and what the common factor is.

Nor would we have had a way to track inventory, find out where the produce went, track it down and get the information out.

I'll bet a LOT of people get sick from farmer's market and farmstands and it's never found out. 

[fthunt]

To your 'computers' I would add......Communication.  In the past we didn't have 24/7 Five or more NEWS channels. 

Newspapers were one to five days old before they hit our front porch.

And "Sell By Date"______________was unknown back then

[PA Mom-mom]

@Sooner My Mom used to call it "Summer Complaint." Any time we got belly ache or lower GI problems in the summer, that was her diagnosis. It was probably some kind of food borne illness from fresh veggies, etc. Or, maybe it was the inundation to our stomachs of all the roughage.

[denisemb]

DH blames it on food storage issues.  (H watches all those "How it's made" programs, etc.)

Claims he saw one program that had tons of onions dumped from boxcars in a huge pile.  Goodness knows how long they "comingle" before being sorted into smaller, manageable batches.  And if there is a group that are compomised by an infective issue, it's reasonable to assume it can spread to other similar veggies.  Maybe?

[Sooner]

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@denisemb wrote:

DH blames it on food storage issues.  (H watches all those "How it's made" programs, etc.)

Claims he saw one program that had tons of onions dumped from boxcars in a huge pile.  Goodness knows how long they "comingle" before being sorted into smaller, manageable batches.  And if there is a group that are compomised by an infective issue, it's reasonable to assume it can spread to other similar veggies.  Maybe?

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@denisemb Food is grown in dirt a lot of times, goes in trucks that aren't washed and sanitized every day and is handled by people whose hands probably aren't washed often enough, conveyer belts not cleaned, etc.

I agree with your husband in many ways.  To be honest, however, I trust commercially grown food more than I do farm market things.  I think there is greater risk of contamination in small plots than acres and acres.   More animals, people handling it, improper storage maybe or hauling, etc.  More hands on the food. . . 

And I've eaten so much garden grown stuff in my lifetime, but at this point, it is more risky than it used to be. But still in all I am not afraid of MOST things--lettuce being a notable exception!  LOL

[ID2]

Thank goodness I buy local. I never have to worry about tainted meat, veges, etc. I never buy these items from the grocery store. I support my local farms. Even during our harsh winters the farms have accomodations to grow produce and I can still buy local veges. Yay! 

[EatWell]

IMO.  Reason:  

pesticides,  using human waste to fertilize crops, and toxic contaminated water supply.  Especially China, Mexico, and certain Asian and South American countries.

I support local farmers and farmer markets who only grow certified organic vegetables and fruit.  🇺🇸
I buy certified  organic grown vegetables and fruit from small farms.    Same when I order from a grocery store.  Always certified organic grown vegetables and fruit.

Same with meat.  Organic  grass fed beef.    Organic poultry and swine.   Wild caught, not farmed fish, and shellfish.  None at all from China, Vietnam Nam, India, or Bangladesh.

Cost a little more but well worth it. 

Eat healthy.  Eat well. 👍
   

“Stay safe. Stay home.”

~Put food in front of me, and I will eat it.~